Various blast-resistant containers have been developed and used for carrying a general explosive device, such as an improvised explosive device (IED) or homemade bomb, to a place where it can be safely detonated, or to permit its safe detonation within the container itself. The known blast-resistant containers presently in use are generally of very thick, heavy and bulky construction in order to be able to withstand the blast should the article placed within it explode. There exist basically three type of design, the first being a cylindrical container open at both ends which vents the explosive gases from a detonation through the ends and provides protection from fragmentation only on the side, the second being a cylinder similar to the first type, however being open only on the top end and providing added protection from fragments at the bottom end. The third type is an essentially spherical container which totally contains the fragments and the blast. The spherical container offers the best protection, but requires an opening with a very complex and expensive door.
In general, the above discussed types of blast-resistant containers are typically, by their very nature, large and heavy, and construction thereof is costly and labor intensive. Accordingly, they are too expensive for dedicated installation at a particular site. In addition, many organizations are unwilling to make the necessary investments in view of the relative infrequency of any bomb threats. Moreover, size and weight characteristics impede conveyance of the prior art types of blast-resistant containers from a remote location to the vicinity of a package bomb. Many buildings entrances, decks and freight elevators cannot accommodate or support such large and heavy equipment. Thus, the prior art types of blast-resistant containers tend to significantly increase exposure and handling of a suspect explosive device before safe isolation thereof can be established. Evacuation of an entire facility, pending arrival of a transportable bomb containment container, is often the only viable option.
Accordingly, a need exists for a novel type of blast-resistant container, which may be designed and manufactured at a lower cost as compared to the prior art types of containers, thus making it more suitable for general installation for minimizing the risk of personnel coming in contact with suspect explosive devices